The Wait
Part-6
Ayesha, Sakshi, Liza exchanged a disbelief look among each other.
This was new to them.
They had never seen Chhotu, Shree this much overwhelmed with happiness, that they were crying like kids.
They had never seen Rathore and Arjun switching their tough mode off... And all the sudden changes was because of a girl who was a colleague to them.
They wouldn't call Riya just a colleague, after watching the reactions of their teammates en now they were curious to get acquainted with the girl who has managed to occupy this special place in everyone's heart.
Arjun, however stood composing himself like the situation wasn't affecting him much, and he was okay with it.
"Shree, chhotu chhodo Riya ko. Tum dono suffocate kar rahe ho usse."
Rathore broke the long term silence in the room, thus the other duo departed themselves from Riya's frame, still staring at her intently as if she would vanish with a blink.
"Sir aapne dekha, Riya ki heartbeats chal rahi hai. Iska matlab vo..."
Shree paused himself, smiling broadly at the monitors attached to her body and Rathore had to admit he was seeing Shree this much happy after like ages.
"iska matlab Riya hamare sath wapas ETF me aayegi.!"
Chhotu exclaimed in shock.
"Per guys hame sabse pehle Riya ko hospital leke jaana padega. Usse abhi treatment ki jarurat hai."
Ayesha spoke interrupting them, while Sakshi, Liza nodded their heads in agreement.
"Haan. Mai bahar se nurse ko bula ke laa.."
Before Sakshi could complete, Arjun hurriedly bent down to the level of Riya and asided the thin blanket from her before looking up.
"Shree."
"yes sir."
By getting the hint Shree held the saline bottle in his hand, while Arjun picked up Riya in his arms carefully, much to Sakshi's amusement .
Rathore held the door open letting them go out, whereas Chhotu instructed the crowd gathered around to clear their way till the ETF SUV.
Arjun made Riya lay in the back seat with her head resting on Shree's lap, while Ayesha sat next to him.
Sakshi, chhotu occupied the last seat, whereas Arjun accelerated the SUV with Rathore in the front seat.
Soon the car stopped near a hospital, and Riya was immediately taken inside with the ETF members waiting outside.
An hour later..
Shree came back after informing Riya's family on call and glanced at the transparent glass door, inside which Riya's check up was going on.
"itna time kyun lag raha hai? Sab thik toh hoga na.?"
Chhotu asked anxiously.
"Chhotu fikr mat Karo, sab thik hoga."
Sakshi assured.
Ayesha stole a glance at Rathore, then at others.
Undoubtedly all looked tired.
"Umm.. Aap sab thake hue lag rahe hain. Mai sab ke liye kuch laati hun. Rathore sir aap coffee peeyenge.?"
She asked in concern.
"Nahi Ayesha mujhe kuch nahi chahiye."
Rathore simply denied.
Chhotu, Shree shook their heads as well, when Ayesha moved her eyes to them.
"Aur Arjun.?"
Sakshi asked this time.
"nahi."
Arjun muttered without looking at her, thus she sighed.
"Liza kahan hai.?"
Rathore questioned, suddenly realizing her absence.
"Sir, Vo jo chemicals hame mile the unki testing ke liye Liza lab chali gayi. Usne Kaha ki vo kaam khatam hote hi aajayegi."
Shree replied, to which Rathore nodded his head in understanding.
Just then a doctor came out of the room, making all stand in alert.
" aap me se patient ke family member kaun hai.? "
The doctor asked, eyeing each of them expectantly.
" Maine Riya ki family ko inform kardiya hai, per unhe aane me toh time lagega."
Shree murmured slowly.
"Doctor mai Sameer Rathore ETF chief aur ye meri team hai. Riya bhi iss team ka hissa hai aur duty ke baad hum ek family ki tarah hi hain, toh aap hame bata sakte hain."
Rathore said, when others except Arjun smiled at their chief's words.
"Oh hello. I'm doctor Khurana."
The doctor stretched his hand towards Rathore, who nodded shaking his hand with him and the doctor continued.
"Dekhiye maine X-RORA II virus case ke baare me pehle se suna tha, Kuch mahino pehle toh ye ek sensitive topic bangaya tha aur aaj Subah ki news me maine dekha ki kaise aapko aapki officer wapas mili.
Toh ye aap logon ke liye khushi aur mere liye surprising baat hai ki aapki officer bilkul thik hain. "
It took few secs all to register the words properly in mind, before they got it and their faces broke in to smiles.
Though Arjun didn't show, yet he released the breathe he was holding from the past few seconds and his face mirrored relief.
" patient ke body se X-RORA II virus almost dissolve hogaya hai. Bas thoda hi bacha Jo harmful ni hai."
The doctor shook his head.
"toh kya doctor Riya ki body se virus aese hi dissolve hogaya.?"
Ayesha asked, puzzled.
"nahi. Unhe antidote diya gaya hai." came the doctor's quick reply, that was enough to shock the rest.
"kya? Antidote.?"
Arjun gave a strange look to the doctor, then turned his head to Rathore who was surprised as well.
"ji Haan. Per uske sath sath unhe drugs bhi diya gaya hai, jiski wajah se vo abhi tak coma se bahar ni aayin hai."
"Toh doctor kya Riya.."
"nahi nahi chinta karne ki jarurat ni hai, Vo jald hi thik hojayengi.
Humne treatment shuru kar diya hai, thoda time lagega per recovery pakki hai unki."
The doctor assured, seeing Chhotu's already tensed face.
"thank you so much doctor." Shree beamed in happiness.
"It's alright. Ye mera farz hai jaise aap log apna farz nibhate hain.
Ek fighter ne toh abhi tak haar ni maani, and I'm sure thik hote hi vo ETF wapas join karne ke liye zyada wait ni karengi."
The doctor smiled watching Riya through the glass.
"aapne sahi kaha doctor. Vo ek aesi fighter hai jisne na kabhi haar maani aur na hi kabhi maanegi."
Rathore stated proudly and the doctor nodded his head in agreement.
"already aap sab abhi patient se mil sakte hain, lekin please dhyan rahe jaise patient ko zyada disturbance na ho."
"Hum dhyan rakhenge, thank you doctor."
Sakshi smiled, before the doctor was gone and all entered the room, where Riya was resting.
Chhotu walked till the bed and touched her hand.
"mujhe toh abhi tak yakeen ni horaha hai ki Riya.. Hamari Riya kuch dino me wapas aajayegi."
"jab vo uth jaayegi na tab hum usse bahut sari baatein karenge. Inn 6 mahino me humne kya kiya kya nahi sab."
Shree exclaimed happily.
"Guys vo itne dino baad uthegi aur tum dono usse apni baaton me bore karoge.?"
Sakshi narrowed her gaze, chuckling.
"Arey tum ni jaanti Sakshi, Ri hamari baaton se kabhi bore ni hoti.
Ulta Kabhi kabhi humse bhi zyada baat karti hai."
Shree answered.
"aur uske statistics aur percentage kabhi khatam hi ni hote." chhotu added.
"RI.?"
Sakshi's brows raised.
"Haan Shree hamesha Ri bulata hai Riya ko.
Pata hai? Itna hygiene freak hai ki coffee mug ko tissue paper se saaf na karne tak usko apne muh tak ni legi."
Chhotu chuckled.
"hmm.. Tum dono ki baatein sunke na mera bhi bahut mann kar raha hai Riya se baat karne ka. Bas vo ek baar thik hojaye, phir hum sab masti karenge."
Sakshi smiled along with Chhotu, shree.
There were 3 other people who were listening to their conversation silently from a little distance from them, and Rathore actually smiled seeing them this much happy ;Which went noticed by Ayesha beside him.
"Bahut attached hai na Riya sab se."
Ayesha murmured in a low voice.
"Haan. Itne mahino baad maine Shree aur chhotu ko itna khush dekha hai. Jab tum usse jaanne lagogi phir tumhe pata chalega ki vo kaisi hai, aur sabke sath uski itni attachment kyun hai, chahe kuch log Kitna bhi chhupane ki koshish karle."
Rathore muttered eyeing Arjun, who was standing still in the room, not talking, not reacting anything.
Just then Rathore's phone rang and he went out of the room to receive it.
By the time he finished the talk and came back Ayesha had too joined Sakshi, chhotu, Shree in chit chatting, while Arjun choosed to be a mute spectator there.
"Team."
All heads were now turned to the chief's voice, and all looked at Rathore's serious posture.
"Professor Prakash ko arrest kardiya gaya hai. Vo abhi ETF office me hai."
Rathore announced.
"tum sab yahin ruko, mai aur Rathore jaake aate hain."
Arjun said, knowing none of them would be ready to leave Riya anytime soon.
"Umm sir, mai chalta hun aap dono ke sath. Baad me wapas aajaunga." Chhotu spoke.
"aur sir mai bhi."
Shree piped in.
Rathore's forehead screeched at the duo, but however he nodded.
"aap log jayiye, hum log yahin rukte hain, agar kuch jarurat hogi toh call karenge."
Ayesha chirped referring to herself and Sakshi.
"OK. Let's go."
Rathore walked out of the hospital room followed by the other duo,even though they were hesitating to leave Riya's side.
ETF office :
A 65 year old man was sitting in the interrogation room surrounded by the ETF officers, then roamed his eyes around the room.
"Abhishek kahan hai? Mujhe usse milna hai."
"aapko aapke pote ke pass bhej diya jaayega, per hamare sawal ke jabab dene ke baad.
Baaki sab Kuch toh Abhishek ne hame bata hi diya hai, bas ek sawal baaki hai. Ye..."
Rathore put Riya's photo on the table, before looking up to the professor.
"ye hamari officer hai jiski body me X-RORA II virus tha, per doctor ne hume kaha ki uski body se virus dissolve hogaya hai kyunki usse antidote diya gaya tha. Kaise.?"
"jiski body me mera medicine jaayega, uski body me koi aur bimari kaise ho sakti hai?
Issliye mai chahta tha pehle Vo dusri bimari chali jaayein phir testing karunga."
The professor replied.
"Per vo antidote aayi kahan se.?"
Arjun questioned.
"Aayi matlab? Aap bhul rahe hain ki mai scientist reh chuka hun,aur ek scientist apni problem ka solution khud nikal sakta hai.
Maine khud banayi thi vo antidote."
The professor sounded proud with himself, thus others sighed.
"Ek doctor, ek scientist.. Agar dono apni professions ka galat faida ni uthate toh sayad kuch achha naam kama paate.
Chhotu, le jao inhe."
Rathore ordered standing up from his chair.
Chhotu came walking forward towards the professor, who looked up to him.
" ek police officer toh nahi, per ek dost hone ke naate keh raha hun... Thank you, Vo antidote banane ke liye. "
All looked at chhotu well understanding his emotions and kept mum, while chhotu took the professor out along with him.
~~~~
One and half month passed...
ETF kept solving cases, Riya was still under treatment,Ayesha was still hesitant over her feelings towards Rathore, Sakshi was still continuing her little crush on Arjun, Chhotu,Shree still got scolded sometimes by their chiefs - everything was same ; except the chief had no more regret in his eyes for not being able to save his teammate, two friends were eagerly waiting for their friend's arrival,three girls were equally excited to have another girl in their gang and ARJUN?
Well Arjun was reserved like his usual self, non responsive to any other thing except crime cases, but who knows he might change in near future for good?
Everyone except Arjun used to visit Riya in the hospital on a regular basis, specially Chhotu and Shree who spend many hours in her room talking to her like she listen to them everyday.
Rathore too visits her frequently, along with Ayesha, Sakshi and Liza, but none forced Arjun ever knowing how he is.
It was another regular evening, when after ending the shift both Chhotu, Shree headed for hospital.
On reaching there they entered the lift, meanwhile Shree got a call, which he received while following chhotu out of the lift past few minutes.
Suddenly Chhotu grabbed his hand towards a wall hiding themselves behind it, much to Shree's confusion.
"Kya hua.?" he asked, disconnecting the call.
"sshh .. Maine abhi abhi jisko dekha hai na, agar tu dekhega toh hosh udd jaayenge."
Chhotu said in a low voice, only audible to Shree.
"Kaun teri 11.30 wali.?"
Shree smirked.
"Arey nahi re. Vo toh sabzi mandi aati hai, hospital kyun aayegi."
"toh kaun.?"
"Arjun sir."
"kya.?"
Shree almost yelled, then slowly peaked through the wall and indeed Arjun was there,talking to a doctor.
"udi baba! Ye Arjun sir yahan kya kar rahe hain, inki tabiyat kharab hai kya.?"
"lekin Subah se toh bhale changey lag rahe the."
Chhotu answered.
"toh phir.?"
Shree's forehead screeched, en it took few minutes for the duo to get the real thing in their mind and they looked at each other with wide eyes.
"RIYA SE MILNE.!"
both murmured in union, then grinned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay just to make one thing clear that I'm not a cheesy type writer.. I mean I'm not going to make Arjun fall for Riya all of a sudden and confess his feelings and all... Those episodes i had watched them together all i wanted their chemistry to grow slowly with love and understanding.. So love will take time as Arjun is still not over of his wife but but.. There will be Ariya scenes ;-) no worries about that (-: (^_-)
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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